Spices are typically added to food to provide flavouring, but have also been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times, thanks to certain properties and antioxidants they contain. According to dietician Juliette Kellow and Dr Sarah Brewer, in their book ‘Eat Better Live Longer: Understand What Your Body Needs to Stay Healthy’, scientific studies are now providing evidence to back up the potential health benefits of spices. These potential health benefits include cancer protection, improving memory, fighting inflammation and others. “All spices are antioxidant boosters, but different spices have particular benefits,” said Kellow and Brewer. Here are four of the best spices for boosting health.
Black pepper
Black pepper is a “heart-friendly” spice that also contains a digestion-boosting alkaloid called piperine.
Black pepper is also a great alternative to salt, which is linked to high blood pressure which can cause heart disease and kidney failure.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon may help lower blood sugar levels, so is useful for weight management and those with diabetes.
Many studies have shown cinnamon may help improve insulin sensitivity and help blood sugar control, both of which are essential for people with diabetes.
Ginger
Ginger contains an anti-inflammatory compound called gingerol, that can help reduce pain in people with osteoarthritis.
A review of five studies found taking ginger reduced pain by nearly a third and disability by nearly 22 per cent in people with osteoarthritis.
Ginger is also known for helping to ease nausea.
Turmeric
Turmeric is packed with curcumin, which helps relieve long-term inflammation. Several studies have shown signs of inflammation are reduced in people who have taken capsules containing curcumin.
Long-term inflammation can lead to health problems like inflammatory bowel disease, some cancers, dementia and arthritis.
Turmeric may also help brain health, as curcumin may prevent amyloid-beta plaques forming in the brain – one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease – and may also help break them down.
In addition, some lab-based studies have suggested curcumin may be able to kill cancer cells, particularly in the breast, bowel, stomach and skin, and prevent them from growing.
“Spices are full of antioxidants. This is good news for boosting longevity because antioxidants mop up an excess of free radicals – molecules that are thought to cause many age-related diseases including cancer and dementia,” said Kellow and Brewer.